Work return mechanism for rip saws



'Fe'b, 16, 1954 J. 1.. SMITH WORK RETURN MECHANISM FOR RIP SAWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21 1951 R m o m Wm m H R E T O V W m M A mm 5 s M mm 0 L w m N4 m@ v Q. 0... m8 Wm Ow ma NV qw I mv (TV rm 0 8W 0 AN NW 6 0a 7 ,wr 6w 00 4Q w 3i Q a 6 8 z. v 6 1 ,fl n .6 l l l l HI HMHM'IHU J11 I! .1 mm 1 0 I mm Wm Wm PP NW m6 Q 5 mm mnw m6 5 1 1954 J. L.. SMITH WORK RETURN MECHANISM FOR RIP SAWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21 1951 it. 9.. Q dr @s mm 3 5 F; Ev

INVENTOR' Jana-s Z J'Muw Ev F ATTORNEYS Feb. 16, 1954 Filed Dec. 21, 1951 J. L. SMITH 2,669,263

WORK RETURN MECHANISM FOR RIP SAWS I s Sheets-Sheet s M9 no 2 i0 'lo 7 m 05 i8 L23 ii"). an ill LL .LOL

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24 4 LOQ INVENTOR JAMES A. .S'M/TH 11a BY cmgmf W v A9 p ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED sure wonmuuruun MECHANISM non RIP SAWS James LU-sm'ith, Charlotte, N. 10.

I *Applicatioli'Deeeiiiber 21, 1951, Serial=-No. 262,'783' pieces'from the-"discharge end to the-feed end or, .a device, such as'a'ripsaw, and. to provide-add? 'tion'alxme'ansfor insuring the propertravelpf the work'pieces;;suohasboards, through the rip saw which mechanism" can be easily" attached to an. existingrip s'aw with no-m'aterial modification, of the: rip saw construction and can" 'be powered by the ripsaw "motor "or by a separate rlotor as may be desired; which returns all-pieces of a ripped. board: to the operator: at a," location above that .at which i the boards are fedto the saw, so that the; piecescanbe-easily-disposedof by the operator; which eliminates"the-necessity of employing an' additional *workmar'rat the discharge end ofthe'saw; and'which is simple and ,durable in constructior1 economical" tomanufac f.ture; easy operation;

Other objects and" adizantageswill become apparent from a consideration-of the following deto instalLiand positive and efiective in .scription and thegappended claims "moon-junction with the accompanying" drznivingswherein: I

I Figure 1 is a's'ideel'evationarview ofa rip saw andwork retum-mechanism illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is' a'top -p1an view Draw-195W and workzreturn "mechanism illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is'across'seotional view on the line 3z'3 of Figure??? Figure 4 is'a cross- .4-4 of Figure 1; I I I 5-is a cross sectional-*vi'ewvon the line "5- 5' ofFigure3; I Figure 6f is-a side elevational-View or a-soiri'ewhatfmodified formof rip saw and-work return mechanismcombination; I I I Figureflisa view similar to Figu-re'G; butshowin'g'*the parts in a difi'erent operativeposition from that shown in Figurefi -'Fig'u're Sfisa top plan view-of therip-saw" and work 'returniimechanis'm illustrated :in Figures 6 andl'i'rand iFigur'e' 9 is .a fragmentary end. elevational view .'.."shovtin& a constructional i detail of; thefiworkv re- .turn;mechanism.illustratedtin,Eigures ,6, "Lame.

sectional view-on the-dine I Wiflioontinued reference 'tolthendrawingspthet 3 Claims. (01. 143-157) rip saw comprises -:.a 'flat *table I ll supported on upright legs I. I, [2, l3 and I4, held substantially parallel relationship to-each other by a platform l5 disposed-below'andsubstantially parallel tothe table [Brand secured at its corners. to 1 the table supporting legs.

The legs l2 and M are disposed at the'feed end, and the legs H and [3 at the discharge end 'of the rip saw and the work return mechanism,

presently to be described is ldisposed'at; thedischarge'end of the 'rip" saw with its front'end adjacent the legs I l and I3.

A saw :6 is mounted on asaw arbor lT-journ'ale'd atits ends .in bearings: ['8 depending from the under sideof the table an'd thesaw extends through a saw slot or throat is in the-table in a "manner weir known tothe art. A motor' is mounted on the-platform Ii-and connected" to "the 'saw bya' suitame belt or chain ZltO drive 20" the saw, and a ripfe nce or: gauge" 22' and a guard 23 are mounted ori'the saw table. I

The rip gauge 22 is an elongated bar, preferably of channel shapedcrosssection, adjustamy secured atone end to'the table at the feed end of the latter by suitable'means, such as the 'set screw 25, andextends iongitudmauy of the table :pastt-he saw l6 atselected distances-from one side of the saw depen'ding on the width of the pieceswhichjit 'is desired to rip from' Wider work pieces by the rip'saw.

" A-plurality of rollers -26-are journaled in the 'rip'fence 22" and project from'the-side' thereof adjacent the saw to facilitate the guiding of work piecespast t-he'saw by the fence.

The "guard -23 comprises a flat plate 29 of rectangular shape-extending transversely of the table It above and substantially parallelto the latter and supported at its ends by end plates 30 and'SLthe lower edges of which'a-re secured to the saw" table,"-orie at each side edge of the latter and the upper edges of'whi'ch are secured to the plate 29 at the respectively opposite ends thereof.

'- The plate 29 extends above the saw [6 and is provided intermediate its length with a block 32 secured to the under sideof the platej29 and'hav- '-ing in its lower side a longitudinally extending "groove which receives the top portion of the saw, so that boards fed past'the saw cannot be raised f by the action or the saw to a position at which they are not cut entirely through by the upper portion of the saw. I

One or more'detents '33 are pivotally'mounted on the plateii29' atthe edge. of the plate disposed ratuthe discharge sideef the saw it and these detentsfldepend from the adjacent edge" of the guard plate to engage boards fed past the saw and hold such boards against any return movement, particularly in the event of the saw catching or binding in the boards.

An arm is pivotally mounted at one end to the outer end of an extension 35 which projects outwardly from the feed end of the saw table at the side of the saw remote from the rip fence 22 and a roller 3? is journaled on the arm 35 at the other end of the latter to bear against one edge of a board or plank, the other edge of which is in engagement with the rollers 26 of the rip fence to hold the boards securely against the rip fence. A flexible cable 38 is secured at one end to the arm 35 intermediate the length of the latter and is carried over a sheave 39 mounted on the side edge of the table adjacent the rip fence Z2 and depends from the sheave. A weight 49 is secured to the other end of the cable 353 to applya constant pressure to the roller 31 and maintain the work piece firmly in contact with the'rollers of the rip fence. A flexible strand 4! is connected between the arm and the saw table at the side of the saw table remote from sheave 39 to limit movements of the arm 35 toward rip fence 22 and stop the arm before roller 31 is moved past the saw and into engagement with the rip fence 22.

The work supporting and return mechanism disposed at the discharge Side of the saw includes a rectangular frame having legs 42 and 43 disposed adjacent the legs H and i3 respec tively, and legs 44 and 45 spaced from the legs 42 and 43 in a direction away from the rip saw and disposed substantially parallel to the legs 42 and 43.

A roller 4'! is disposed between the legs 44 and 45 adjacent the upper ends of these legs and is journaled on the legs by stub axles or arbors 48 and 49 extending one from each-end of the roller through suitable bearing apertures in the legs.

Frame side members 50 and 5! are disposed at the outer sides of the legs 44 and 45 respectively, and are pivotally mounted intermediate their lengths on the arbors 48 and 49.

The bars 50 and 5! are pivotally mounted on the arbors 48 and 49; adjacent to, but spaced from their ends adjacent the saw table [0 by depending bearings, one of which is illustrated in Figure 1, and indicated at 52. have their longitudinal center lines substantially in a common, transversely horizontal plane and are inclined downwardly from their ends adjacent the saw table to their ends remote from the saw table. bearings and a roller 53 is journaled in depending bearings, as indicated at 54, at theends of the bars or side frame members 50 and 5t adjacent the discharge end of the saw table imthis roller 53 constituting a feed roller in a manner to be side frame members in the spacebetween the rollers 4'; and 55 and journaled at its ends in depending bearings 58 also carried by the side frame members.

A horizontally disposed frame top structure 60 extends between the legs 42, 43, 44 and 45 just below the level of the saw table Land is horizontally disposed. A roller BI is journaled at its ends on the frame structure 69 adjacent the r The two bars These bars carry additional depending discharge end of the saw table and immediately below the roller 53 and constitutes a complementary feed roller. The top surface of the roller 5| is slightly above the horizontal plane of the top of the saw table Ill and the two rollers 53 and 6! are slightly spaced from the discharge end of the saw table.

Tension springs, as indicated at 52 and 553, are connected between the side frame members 5t and 5| and the horizontal frame structure 64 and resiliently urge the roller 53 downwardly toward the roller 6|. Elongated set screws 65 and 66 are threaded through tapped holes in the side frame members 50 and 51 respectively, and

;. bear at their lower ends against the upper side of the frame structure til to provide adjustable limit stops for the springs 62 and 33 and select the minimum distance between the feed rollers 53 and BI.

An arm 68 is pivotally mounted at one end on the leg 44 near the lower end of the latter and extends from the leg. 44 past the leg 42 of the frame of the work return mechanism. A shaft 69 extends transversely through and is journaled in the arm 68 near the free end of this arm and chain sprockets It and H are mounted on the shaft 69, one near each end of the shaft. A drive motor 12 is supported adjacent the leg 44 with the axis of its shaft substantially coincident with the axis of the pivotal connection between the arm 68 and the leg 44 and a chain i3 drivingly connects the motor 2'2 with the sprocket H and shaft 69. A tension spring 74 is connected between the arm 68 intermediate the length thereof and the base structure 75 of the work return mechanism frame and resiliently urges the shaft 69 and sprockets i0 and H downwardly.

Chain sprockets H and 18 are mounted on the arbors of the rollers 53 and 51 respectively, sub* stantially in alignment with each other and with the sprocket l0, and a chain sprocket i9 is mounted on the arbor 48 of the roller 4'? at the outer side of the frame member 50 in alignment with the sprockets I! and 18.

A chain 90 extends around the sprocket 10, over the sprockets l1 and i3 and around the sprocket i9 drivingly connecting the shaft 69 to the rollers 41,5! and 53.

An additional chain sprocket 852 is mounted on the arbor 48 at the outer side of the sprocket l9, sprockets 8 Land 82 are mounted on the arbor 83 of the roller 5'! at the outer side of the bar 50, and a sprocket 84 is mounted on the arbor 85 of the roller 55 also at the outer side of the bar 50. A chain 86 connects the sprockets and 82 and a chain 8? connects the sprockets 8| and 84, so that all of the rollers BI, 53, 41', 5'!

l and 55 are simultaneously driven by the motor 72 through the shaft 59.

With this arrangement, when a board, as indicated at 93, is disposed with one edge against the rollers 26 of the rip fence 22 and directed toward the saw it, when this board is moved to and past the saw, its end first engaged by the saw will move between the feed rollers 53 and 6! and be grasped by these rollers and the remainder of the board will then be pulled past the saw. The distance from the feed rollers to the roller 41 is less than one half the length of the shortest board which it is contemplated will be operated by the device, and as soon as the end of the board which is last to pass the saw passes the feed rollers 53 and 3|, the board tilts down and comes to rest upon the rollers 41, 51 and fifi. These rollers then move the board'up the in omzofutheiframermmbcrssflemdsiliiandcfinto theitopuct' thempper feed:.:rol1er.:;53mhich mesitheeboardilcnzitudinallyzimtil "itiextcnds oueracndzetentually :comeszto crest upon theztop omthe :gnard 123 when; its. mid-:leneth :location passes-atlas roileraiit. ilhusrtheboardratterpass 'theydeave thesaw.

(It desired, :axdeflectcr ems the-formtof aznarrows;plate,its-mounted onzthe.gupperrssuriacelaof the :top :.;plate 2 Z of iitheeguard sand :iextends adiagonallysacross the plate :28; so :that the forward ends :zflff: huardsxbeing vretumed :bynthe work greturmmechanismzwilh strike this platesandihe da necteduto one siderror the;otherofithewripssaw awayifromether-positioniofithe operator feeding boards; into ..the.:.;saw. :Sueh a. defiectorrprotects thecoperatorf fromriniury by the sreturn'i-ng -work pieces and salsa facilitates: the; disposal of the finishedrwork:piecesbpthe-operator.

3inzztheearrangementillustrated in EEigureseG, :7, et -isndeslptherripzsawzis substantially: thesame as that illustrated: in figures l'nta-a''inclusiveand described. above. Tina-the modified r arrangement of Figuresfi to,-9;inclusive, however, a flat top table I00is-so located that one end thereof'is spaced :vfrom :uthe idischargee end ref .1 the -.rip saw and a narrow, framecincludingifrontlegs, as indicated at'IUI, and rearle'gs, as indicated at, I02 and 1413,: are disposed betweenithe table l00':-an'd the'rip saw andagainstthadischargeend of the rip sawz I'In this arrangement ailowerfeed roller. m4 is iournaledat its endson the? frame at therear or discharge end of the saw rtable I mandvthe frame is rprovided "with ahorizontal top structure 05 idisposed immediately? :below this lower feed roller.

:Arm's or isideumembers Witand l0i are pivotolly reonnected, onerat fieaeh end, to th'e rear legs I 0 2 and L03 neartheupper: ends-pf these legs: andsair upperv feed: roller: I00: is disposed -between cthewfreeends of the arms IOIi-:an'xi" :'IIlI arid ioumeled-thereon try-suitable arbors-projecting from the- 'endsaof themotlen-throu h bearing apertures in the arms. Chain sprockets I09 andffflare mounted on-thearbors of the-rollers I and 1'08 respectively? at on'e side oiitheiinarrovwframe'andimalignme'ntwith-each other and an axle. I II is journaled on a bracket H2 ,carried by the rear leg II of the saw and the adjacent front leg IOI of the frame. A chain sprocket H4 is mounted on the axle III and a chain H5 extends around the sprockets H4 and I I 0 and over the sprocket I09. I

An arm H6 is pivotally mounted at one end on the rear frame leg I 02 and carries at its upper end an idler sprocket II! which engages the inner side of the chain. A tension spring H8 is connected between the frame leg I02 and the arm H6 to render the arm H6 and the sprocket I I1 achain tightener. Tension springs, as indicated at H9, are con- 0 nected between the arms I06 and I0! and the frameestructure I05 to resilientlyzurgesthertop feedrroiler: mastowardthegbottom feed roller I 0 4,;

and if :desired', :set; screws may bercarried :bysthe:

v and :when an enduof 78,- board moves ;;past:@-.-the

saw and ebetween theserollers, thei'ieed rollers engagez'the boardrand, pull; it the remaining-pistance-pastzthe saw.

iAImSi lzzmnanzs are pivotallm mountedg ach at one end on the rear legsetlnzand I;03i,,.,of-:the auxiliarraframemboreuthe;pivotallconnectionsbetween:these;legszandsthe. armst0 6tandrI01sand a-member {126iof. rectangu1ar+shape;is;.disposed betweem and secured to@ the arms; [24 and [Heat the freeeendsof' the latter and has itswupper -edge at the; outer sends ofliarms: lzhand HEY-land? its lower edge, adjacent ,the plane,ofq-thefsaw table til. I; Friction means I 21,; Such -as. teeth ,orra. tub ber strip is provided.- along th upper edge of member I216 to vengage .the lumber and return it to the uppersside ,of the, feed, roller.

i Loopedtorsion springs in end I129 'aredisposed I with their; loops surrounding the pivot holt's ..conv neetingtthe arms 1.2a and; I 25 toflthelegs 'I02'eand I 03 gandeach of these. sprin s has .one .endkeneased twithu-the corresponding legmand theiother end r,- eneaged with-the correspondihgcarm tiller I25 ,1 the force .of thee sphiheibeinsiexertedteraise the. i-member I Ileana more; ittoward the...top;feed 1301161 m8.

It is. tov beunoted-flthat theiframesidememberfi and EI having rotatablerollers '55 andilgdisposed transrerselycthereof or.,.the, arms J I05 and [01, having the, membeltl'fi, disposedtransversely thereof}. teach constitutes a ,work supporting return. mechanism includin spaced. side members havinga movable contact element disposed transversely thereof. It; isv alsocto. be understood that theswork supporting and returncmechanism includingethe, frame .sideamembers L5H andFS I with the rotatablerollers'; and I5'Lis pivotallitmounted .on the. table I0'for movement. about aihorizontaliaxis transverseflofthe tables as" by the stub shafts 4 8 and '49 and that. the a work supporting and return mechanism, including the. aims .106 and I. 01 and; the member; 26 is likewise ,pivotally mountedgon the; table 5 I a" for movement'about a horizontal laxisgtransverse, of the; tablecas'; Y; the

pivotaloconnection'to therear legs. I02 andLI,II3.

- As the; front end 011a boardjpassesi between; the fee'droIlersjitstrikes the member, I526 and moves this memheirudownwardly and e-r'earward as the-front end orthe'board moves away from the fe d rollers, it comes to rest upon the top of the table I00 and when the rear end of the board passes from between the feed rollers, the downward pressure exerted by the board and the feed rollers on the member I26 is substantially released and the springs I28 and I29 then force the member I26 upwardly and forwardly, so that the the location from which the boardwas originally the top plate of the guard from which position it can be easily disposed of by the operator of the saw.

'The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without'departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered. in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

'1. In combination with a machine including a table, an implement operating adjacent said table, and. a gauge for guiding elongated work pieces past said implement, feed rollers disposed one above the other at the discharge side of said implement for engaging work pieces and pulling the work pieces past said implement, and a work supporting and return mechanism having spaced side members with a movable contact element disposed transversely thereof arranged longitudinally of said table at the side of said feed rollers remote from said implement and pivotally mounted on said table for movement about a horizontal axis transverse of said table for receiving a work piece from said feed rollers and returning the work piece to a position at which the end portion thereof adjacent said feed rollers is supported on the upper feed roller, said upper feed roller being then effective to return the work piece to a location adjacent that at which the work piece was initially engaged by said feed rollers.

2. In combination with a rip saw having a saw table provided with a saw throat, a saw journaled below said table and extending through said throat, mechanism for moving elongated work pieces past said saw and returning the work pieces to a location adjacent that from which they were initially fed to said saw comprising a frame disposed at the discharge end of said saw table, a lower feed roller journaled on said frame, an upper feed roller disposed above said lower feed roller, means pivotally mounted on said frame supporting said upper feed roller for movement toward and away from said lower feed roller, power means drivingly connected to said feed rollers, and a work supporting and return mechanism having spaced side members with-a movable contact element disposed transversely thereof arranged longitudinally of said saw table at the side of said feed rollers remote from said saw table and pivotally mounted on said saw table for movement about a horizontal axis transverse of said saw table to engage a work piece discharged by said feed rollers and place the end of such work piece adjacent said feed rollers on the top of said upper feed roller for return by the latter toward the feed end of said saw table.

3. In combination with a rip saw having a saw table provided with a saw throat, a saw journaled at the under side of said table and projecting upwardly through said throat, and a guard mounted on said table and overlying said saw, mechanism for moving elongated work. pieces past said saw and returning said work pieces to the top of said guard comprising a frame disposed adjacent the discharge end of said saw table, a lower feed roller journaled on said frame. an upper feed roller disposed above said lower feed roller, means pivotally mounted on said frame supporting said upper feed roller for movement toward and away from said lower feed roller, spring means connected between the upper feed roller supporting means and said frame resiliently urging said upper feed roller toward said lower feed roller, means .drivingly connected to said feed rollers, and a Work supporting and re turn mechanism having spaced side members with a movable element disposed transversely thereof arranged longitudinally of said saw table at the side of said feed rollers remote from said saw table and pivotally mounted on said saw table for movement about a horizontal axis transverse of said saw table for receiving work pieces discharged by said feed rollers and returning such work pieces to the top of said upper feed roller for movement thereby onto said guard.

JAMES L. SMITH.

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